Spring pin lock for animal trap

ABSTRACT

A trap with a cross-like frame having a first member with upturned ends in which are pivotally mounted a pair of opening and closing arch shaped jaws. A pair of jaw actuators have central apertures, each embracing both jaws at opposite ends thereof, the actuators being pivotally carried on the respective arms of an U shaped retention pin. A Spring Pin Loc is coupled to the respective arms of U Shaped Pin and extends across the cross member between an attachment for the bait pan  70  and an upturned dog mounting end of the cross member forming an attachment for a swinging trigger dog. The arms of the retention pin also carry coil springs, so that on each arm there is one spring on each side of the corresponding actuator. The coil springs urge the respective actuators upwardly toward the sprung, or closed, position of the trap.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/708,862 filed Aug. 17, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject application is directed to animal trap mechanisms, and moreparticularly to a modified spring pin lock which allows for increasedfunctionality and improved manufacturing efficiency. While a preferredembodiment is in conjunction with a spring mechanism for traps, it is tobe appreciated that the subject design is suitably adapted to anyspring-biased locking or closing mechanism for which improvedmanufacturing efficiency and increased force is advantageous.

In common traps, a pair of co-acting jaws are used to securely engage aleg or other member of captured animal. Ends of the jaws are pivotallyconnected to a body portion for pivotable displacement between an openposition (for a set trap) and a closed position (for engagement with acaptured animal). A pair of levers are loaded with a biasing force froman arrangement of springs. In this way, levers biased the jaws into aclosed position. To set the trap, levers are depressed, loading springsand allowing jaws to be placed in an open position along a level line. Afirst jaw is placed level and a dog is laid over top of the jaw. An endof the dog is placed underneath a pan. In this way, the dog and panretain the jaws in an open position, with spring biased levers fullyloaded. When an animal steps on the pan, it tilts to release a trapwherein loaded levers pivot the jaws to a closed position, securelycapturing the animal.

A typical spring or biasing means includes a spring which is applied ina torisional twist to provide force for tripping the trap. In earliersystems, such spring mechanism is typically placed on a u-shaped bar(also known as a U shaped retention pin) which is disposed on a base orlower portion of a trap. However, conventional spring pin assemblies mayseparate from the mechanism. As such, a spring pin wire is not lockedinto place, and the spring pin can come out, causing the trap to fallapart. In addition, spring pin wires limit the number of springs thatcan be successfully employed on a trapping mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject system afore-noted problems, and others, and teaches aspring pin lock assembly comprising a spring pin loc and a U shapedretention pin which allows for more securely holding a spring or biasingmechanism onto a frame, as well as allows for additional springs to beused on a trap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trap in the open position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trap in the closed position.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the trap.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a U shaped retention pin.

FIG. 5 a and 5 b are perspective views of a Spring Pin Loc.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the spring pin loc coupled tothe U shaped retention pin with a threaded fastener.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the spring pin loc coupled tothe U shaped retention pin with a cotter pin.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the spring pin loc coupled tothe U shaped retention pin via solder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The animal trap 10 disclosed herein is of a general type similar to thatdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,638,589 and 6,910,299 hereby incorporatedby reference. Accordingly, the construction and operation of trap 10will not be described herein in great detail except insofar as itpertains to the particular features of the invention.

In general terms, trap 10 includes a cross-like frame 12 having a firstmember 14 with upturned ends 16, 18 in which are pivotally mounted apair of opening and closing arch shaped jaws 20, 22. The frame furtherincludes a cross member 24. A pair of jaw actuators 26, 28 have centralapertures 30, each embracing both jaws 20, 22 at opposite ends thereof,the actuators 26, 28 being pivotally carried on the respective arms 32,34 of an U shaped retention pin 36. Spring Pin Loc 42 is coupled to therespective arms 32, 34 of U Shaped Pin 36 and extends across the slantportion 44 of cross member 24 between an attachment 40 for the bait pan70 and an upturned dog mounting end of the cross member 24 forming anattachment for a swinging trigger dog 46. The arms 32, 34 of theretention pin 36 also carry coil springs 48, 50, 52, 54 so that on eacharm there is one spring on each side of the corresponding actuator 26,28. The coil springs 48, 50, 52, 54 urge the respective actuators 26, 28upwardly toward the sprung, or closed, position of trap 10 as shown inthe drawings (FIG. 2). An aspect of the present invention is that aspring pin loc 42 is coupled to the arms 32, 34 of the U shapedretention pin 36 as shown in the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, the U shaped retention pin 36 has thebase 38 on the opposite side of the dog side 56 of trap 10. The springpin loc 42 is coupled to the U shaped retention pin 36 to lock the Ushaped retention pin 36 in place. Without spring pin loc 42, U shapedretention pin 36 has no backing to hold the retention pin 36 in place.If U shaped retention pin 36 is not locked into place, U shapedretention pin 36 can be removed from trap 10, causing trap 10 todisassemble and fall apart. An aspect of adding spring pin loc 42 isthat it enables the adding of two more springs 50, 54 to trap 10 andlocks springs 50, 54 into place. Furthermore, the length of the arms 32,34 of the U shaped retention pin 36 are suitable for spring pin loc 42to engage the depression 58 on the dog side 56 of trap 10, however, ifthe U shaped pin 36 is pulled away from trap 10, the spring pin loc 42will engage the attachment 40 and prevent the U shaped retention pin 36from being pulled past the cross member 24 and disengaging from trap 10.If the U shaped retention pin 36 is pushed towards the dog side 56 oftrap 10, stop 60 prevents it from moving past the cross member 24 of thedog side 56 of trap 10.

An aspect of the spring pin loc 42 is that the apertures 62 or surfacesengaging the arms 32, 34 of U shaped retention pin 36 are lower than thelongitudinal axis 46 of spring pin loc 42. Spring pin loc 42 sits indepression 58 (see FIG. 3) on the dog side 56 of trap 10. This enables Ushaped retention pin 36 to stay lower on trap 10 and not interfere withjaws 20, 22.

As illustrated, the ends 66, 68 of the arms 32, 34 of U shaped retentionpin 36 are bent to hold spring pin loc 42 in place. However, thoseskilled in the art can readily appreciate that any well known means canbe used to hold spring pin loc 42 into place on U shaped retention pin44, including but not limited to a threaded fastener such as a nut (FIG.6), cotter pins (FIG. 7), soldering and/or welding (FIG. 8).Furthermore, although spring pin loc 42 is illustrated using a wire thatis bent to form the apertures 62, those skilled in the art can readilyappreciate that any equivalent structure is suitable in accordance withan aspect of the present invention.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. An animal trap, comprising: a cross like frame havinga first member with upturned ends and a cross member, the cross membercomprising a dog side and a side opposite the dog side; a pair archshaped jaws pivotally mounted on the upturned ends and configured toopen and close; a pair of jaw actuators having central apertures, eachjaw actuator embracing the pair of jaws at opposite ends thereof; a Ushaped retention pin having a base portion and a pair of arms extendingfrom the base portion, the base portion resting on the side opposite thedog side of the cross member; an attachment for a swinging tree dogmounted on the dog side of the cross member; a spring pin loc fastenedto the arms of the U shaped pin at the dog side of the cross member in amanner to prevent the spring pin loc from sliding off the U shapedretention pin; a first pair of coils mounted on the arms of the U shapedretention pin between the base end of the U shaped retention pin and thefirst member; and a second pair of coils mounted on the arms of the Ushaped retention pin between the first member and the spring pin loc. 8.The animal trap of claim 7, further comprising a stop mounted on thecross member on the dog side of the trap, wherein the spring pin locextends across the cross member between the attachment and the stop. 9.The animal trap of claim 8, the side opposite the dog side of the crossmember further comprising a slanted portion, wherein the base portion ofthe U shaped retention pin extends across the slanted portion.
 10. Theanimal trap of claim 9, the cross member further comprising a depressionbetween the attachment and the stop, wherein the spring pin loc rests inthe depression.
 11. The animal trap of claim 7 wherein the arms of the Ushaped retention pin are bent to prevent removal of the spring pin loc.12. The animal trap of claim 7, further comprising: the arms of the Ushaped retention pin further comprising threads; and a threadablefastener engaging the threads on the arms of the U shaped retention pin.13. The animal trap of claim 7, further comprising: an aperture in thearms of the U shaped retention pin; and a pin suitably adapted to fit inthe aperture of the spring pin loc to prevent the spring pin loc fromdisengaging the U shaped retention pin.
 14. The animal trap of claim 7,wherein the arms of the U shaped retention pin are bent sufficiently toprevent the spring loc pin from disengaging the U shaped retention pin.15. The animal trap of claim 7, wherein the dog side of the cross memberfurther comprises a depression and the spring pin loc rests in thedepression.
 16. The animal trap of claim 15, wherein the cross memberfurther comprises a stop adjacent to the depression for preventingmovement of the spring pin loc. 17-18. (canceled)